A hobbit on an adventure

[TawnyPigeon]

Hello there. I almost feel ashamed to introduce myself as one of a race with such an oversaturated media presence, but last I checked I had a healthy pair of hairy feet and I should be proud to be of such resilient and resourceful stock.

 

I'm a 25 year old biochemistry student (we hobbits have a natural flair for agriculture, and I hope to work on crop disease resistance).

 

My physical health took a nosedive as a teenager as a result of agoraphobia and depression, and after meeting my girlfriend and slowly realising that I have time to improve things, the last 4 years have been all about building a future for myself. I still can't believe I'm actually at university, after so many years of allowing my brain to vegetate rather than face anxiety. I've gone from panic attacks at the thought of opening the door and leaving the house to cycling 110 miles a week to and from uni in the neighbouring city, and I'm addicted to my commute. I've seen owls and foxes and badgers and more bunny rabbits than I can count (got to watch the squirrels, they're bloody suicidal running into wheels), and it's the most wonderful soul cleansing break from a life stuck in two busy cities. As a result there's no doubt in my mind that the only "profession" for me is that of a scout, free in the fresh air.

 

I'm no longer particularly overweight (5'6" and 67kg, down from ~100kg as a teenager), and friends comment on how healthy I appear to be, but I know I need to tackle residual binge eating habits, and I worry about developing long term health issues such as pre-diabetes as a result of my diet and still mostly sedentary life. I would like to work on my core strength and aerobic capacity, purely to better enjoy a life as a scout and experience more from the landscapes around me.

 

I haven't really thought about what realistic goals are yet, but some immediate concerns are managing 4 pushups and sprinting up the hill from the river to my house without staggering around like I've just completed a marathon. Longer term dreams include 200 mile bike rides every weekend, cross-country running in the mendips and welsh mountains, and a complete lack of anxiety allowing me to go where I want, when I want rather than my current crutch of forcing myself out when I need to be somewhere.

 

Correlary to the fitness goals, I want to build the discipline to succeed academically and pour everything I've got into a scientific career, and I want to accept who I am and finally smackdown the feelings of self-loathing from my depression. I know that my relationship suffers from these feelings just as much as I do, and I owe it to my wonderful girlfriend to be more at ease with myself.

 

I look forward to getting to know you all, and pushing my ongoing adventure into a new, nerdy direction.

[Defrock]

Welcome!

 

110 miles each week is no easy feat, so congratulations on turning your life around with that! Long weekend bike rides definitely sound thrilling! 

[KylieBear]

Hey there!

As I've heard Steve tell so many people in articles and comments, diet is 80%.  I think that could hold true to some extent for emotional issues as well.  I find myself more balanced when I eat well.  A lot of people on NF seem to be trying out paleo or primal diets.  In studies it's shown to reduce the risk of diabetes and some other diseases.  What could it hurt to try it out?

You bike ride sounds like an amazing commute.  I wish I had the opportunity to experience such a peaceful start and end to my day.

 

Good luck to you.  We'll be here, should you need us.

Kyle

 

(and anyone feel free to correct me if any of my above statements were not correct)

[RBC]

Hooray! Another Hobbit! I was about to post my own introduction but was distracted by the word "Hobbit" and had to read it. 

 

110 miles on a bike is no joke. I lost about 25 pounds when I studied in Amsterdam during college largely because I biked everywhere (though I only saw pigeons and stray dogs and cats). Looking forward to reading about your adventures! 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Welcome aboard, you certainly are a scout with all that cycling! Are you going to get in on the six week challenge that starts today?

[TawnyPigeon]

Haven't had much time to think about challenges unfortunately. Exams start next week.